Penticton homicide victim was a 'good guy': coworker

Dale Atkinson has been identified by coworkers as the victim of a homicide that took place June 12, 2017, on Woodlands Drive in Penticton.

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June 16, 2017 - 4:30 PM

PENTICTON - The people who worked with the Penticton man murdered earlier this week say they were shocked to hear of the man's death.

While neither the RCMP nor the B.C. Coroners Service have confirmed the identity of the murder victim, coworkers at Penticton Kia have put two and two together and say Dale Atkinson, 63, was the homicide victim.

Fellow employees at the car dealership were told by Penticton RCMP not to expect Atkinson to return to work on Monday, sales manger Kevin Tameling says.

He says after hearing of the homicide, and the fact Atkinson lived on the street, they realized what had happened.

Tameling, who worked with Atkinson for the past two months, says he didn’t know the victim very well but thought he was a “good guy, with typical relationship issues.” He says Atkinson had worked at several car dealerships in Penticton over the past 20 years.

Penticton RCMP will not confirm Atkinson is the murder victim.

"We are not going to release the name at this time as there is no investigative need to do so. It is a matter of protecting and respecting the rights of the deceased," Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says.

Police took a woman into custody in connection with the homicide but later released her without charges.

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